The Bolloré Group has received a proposition from French line CMA CGM to buy Bolloré Logistics for €5 billion.
The offer is the outcome after exclusive negotiations conducted between the two organizations, which were announced on 18 April.
However, Bolloré has said it will decide whether to take up the offer based on consultations with employee representatives.
The Loadstar calls this potential deal "'poison' for small and medium-sized freight forwarders, squeezed in an ever-tightening market sector."
If the deal goes through, it would facilitate CMA CGM's acquisition spree since the end of the pandemic, bolstering the company's potential position as one of the top five players in global logistics.
Furthermore, it would further shrink billionaire Vincent Bolloré's conglomerate, which recently sold its African ports and logistics business to shipping conglomerate MSC for €5.7 billion.
Bolloré has said that both groups will report the outcome of the negotiations after considering regulatory approvals, information, and consultation procedures, and that the acquisition is not guaranteed.